Worlds Largest Snow Woman!

A friend sent these pictures to me and I just had to share this story with you. The story is about a very big snowman built in 2007 in the small village of Bethel, Maine. These people know how to build a snowman!

The "snowwoman" towered over the village featuring eyelashes created from discarded skis and bright red lips made from painted car tires. She wore a giant red hat and a 100-foot-long scarf, and her blond tresses were made from rope. She got a little bling from a snowflake pendant that's 6 feet long

With the temperature in single digits, several hundred people including busloads of schoolchildren turned out for the dedication of the 122-foot-tall mountain of snow named Olympia.


This ski town of about 2,400 residents already held the record for tallest snowman, dedicated in 1999. The village of Bethel had been waiting for someone else to break the record. When no one rose to the challenge, the folks there decided they'd have to break the record themselves.

Truly amazing to see a snowman towering over the tree line.

Previous record holder, Angus - king of the mountain.

"Olympia," named for Maine's senior senator, Olympia Snowe, stood nearly 10 feet taller than "Angus, King of the Mountain," who was dedicated by the town in 1999. That snowman, named for then-Gov. Angus King, was created by the same folks responsible for Olympia



It took more than a month, dozens of volunteers and tons of snow to create Olympia. Jim Sysko, a civil engineer, oversaw design and construction


To get an idea of scale, Olympia stood about 30 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty (without the base) Her arms were made of 27-foot-tall evergreens.
Her "carrot" nose, painted by schoolchildren, measured 8 feet long. Her eyes were made from giant wreaths.

She was built with a series of concentric circles. The crane dumped the snow into frames, and volunteers climbed in for long hours shoveling and packing the snow.


Olymia is now currently the world's tallest snow woman by the Guinness Book of Records. There previously was not a separate category for snow women, so the residents of Bethel petitioned for one!



There was plenty of snow for the project. Parts of Maine had more than 100 inches of snow to work with.

Volunteers started with manmade snow and then used snow piled on the runway of the municipal airport to finish the job.

For those of you wondering...it took until July 2008 for the snowwoman to melt!

Happy Winter,

brenda

A fun-filled Friday....

I popped in on my sister Sandra Friday for a fun-filled visit. A trip to her house usually means a trip to Country Threads in Garner, Iowa. More on this later....

We shopped the shops of Algona & also Britt, Iowa (Hobo capital of the world) before making our way to Garner.

I am finding that upon entering stores I am now gravitating towards anything that is baby boy blue, cuddly & soft....hmmmmm, doesn't have anything to do with becoming a new grandma does it?

My first find is this sweet little SLEEP SHEEP ON THE GO. The lamb makes the following 4 sounds of nature:

CALM - soft, gentle stream sound that promotes a serene, peaceful rest

SLEEP - spring showers sound that creates a cozy, relaxed atmosphere

ANOTHER SLEEP SOUND - Calm ocean waves sound that provides an ideal & tranquil setting

RELAX - harmonious whale song that relaxes mind & spirit

This little guy is made from the softest, woolly fabric and Velcro's onto a stroller or car seat.

I think Grandma might strap this to her bedpost before gifting it, for when I'm having one of those tossing & turning, too hot in these jammies, can't sleep type of nights! Works for little ones, should work for old ones too....right!??

Then there was this little guy...talk about soft! What little one, that is a bit cranky, with teething pains wouldn't absolutely love chewing on this teething ring? Yeah, that is what I thought too...so I bought it!

PLUS as sister Sandra pointed out it matches the baby quilt Great Grandma Millie made...another reason I needed this!

Baby quilt made by my mother, Millie. Another fun-filled day in August was spent with sister Sandra & Mother as we traveled from quilt shop to quilt shop in rural Iowa picking blue fabrics for the background of this quilt. A fun & memorable day for sure!


Then there was this plate... what mother & young child wouldn't love putting freshly baked cookies upon it for Santa? Yep, that is what I thought too!

After a lunch of chicken salad, wild rice soup, homemade wheat roll & carrot cake dessert we finally made it to our final destination,
Country Threads Quilt Shop

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As we were walking up the lane to the quilt shop, Mary & Connie shouted out to "come in". The two were in their design studio working on a fresh & springy new quilt design. These two women are a hoot & always have fun stories to share.


I'm not sure which I like more...all the quilt fabric/patterns or her 18 cats. As we entered the building that houses the civil war reproduction fabrics a very beautiful long haired cat pops out of a wicker basket that she was taking her afternoon nap in. She stood up & did her stretch and greeted us in her very own cat way! I seemed to have befriended a certain calico cat (with a squeaky sort of meow) in the main shop and she followed me from building to building. You just never know where you may find a cat curled up & napping!


The summer time is a great time to visit "Threads" as the geese are on the pond, the goats are outside, the quilts are hanging on the fences, and Mary's extensive (and I mean extensive) collection of succulents is on display outside her home.

If you love fabric, quilting, rural life, farm animals & cats and haven't made the trip to Country Threads in Garner Iowa, you do need to put it on your lists of things to do in your lifetime...you won't be disappointed!

In the civil war reproduction building I found these three pieces of fabric that I felt my "stash" needed. I never really have a plan for fabric when I buy it. I buy it because I simply like it & with hopes it will be an inspiration for the next pattern design. I'm thinking perhaps clothing for a primitive rabbit...maybe even with a little bit of cross stitch here & there...we shall see!

Now my shopping bags not only include fabric, but soft cuddly sheep, teething rings, Santa plates & MORE fabric.

Off to create,

Brenda

A bit late...but still beautiful!

Each fall I plant an amaryllis bulb in hopes of it blooming at Christmas time. This year with the craziness of our busy time, I knew I was a tad bit late in planting. Not getting it potted until early November. I was off by just a week...but what better way to usher in 2009!

Besides the beauty of this flower, I get enjoyment from just being able to dig in dirt & plant when it is much too cold outside to do so.

The rule of thumb for these bulbs is, the larger the bulb the larger the bloom. The Smith & Hawkins bulbs are bulb of choice (available at Target near holiday time), often times producing more then one bloom.

These bulbs make wonderful gifts & little ones love watching them grow too!

December 30th....

December 31st....

January 1st....the first flower is open! Doesn't Mother Nature produce magnificent beauty?

THE MEANING & SYMBOLISM OF THE AMARYLLIS

Legend has it that the amaryllis - the stunning red flower we've come to associate with the holidays - began as a shy, timid nymph. Amaryllis fell deeply in love with Alteo, a shepherd with Hercules' strength and Apollo's beauty, but her affections were unrequited. Hoping that she could win him over by bestowing upon him the thing he desired most - a flower so unique it had never existed in the world before - Amaryllis sought advice from the oracle of Delphi.

Following his instructions, Amaryllis dressed in maiden's white and appeared at Alteo's door for 30 nights, each time piercing her heart with a golden arrow. When at last Alteo opened his door, there before him was a striking crimson flower, sprung from the blood of Amaryllis's heart. With this romantic - albeit tragic - tale as its beginning, it's not surprising that today the amaryllis has come to symbolize pride, determination and radiant beauty.

Happy New Year,

brenda

Happy New Year!

What is nearly 100 years old....

Is brown and fuzzy and has bright red lips?

Hint - Think back to your childhood toy box.

Give up?

The sock monkey!

NOTE - I am pleased to have Grandson Beckham as my guest blog writer today.

Let me introduce myself, I am Beckham Christian Wilson and I was born on November 20th, 2008. I am your guest writer today. I am filling in for Grandma Brenda as she is taking the day off to enjoy some much needed R&R.

The past several days have been very very busy, going from one Grandma's house to the others to celebrate Christmas & meet family members. It was a pretty good time though...everybody kept telling me what a cute little boy I am!

I am not only a cute little boy but have been a good boy too. I am now getting up only on occasion in the middle of the night for feedings....Mommy so loves it when I do this! Santa brought me some pretty cool gifts...he must have known I've been good!

I knew the minute I opened that one certain package (actually Mommy had to help, as I'm a bit too little yet) that the cameras would soon be flashing. In that box were the cutest, tiniest little sock monkey slippers I have ever seen. I figured Grandma would have to put them on me right away to see if they would fit my "precious little feet"! And as I guessed, Grandma had to get her camera out, again! Everybody laughed at my little toes & said they look just like my Daddy's. I do love my monkey slippers though, and they do keep my little toes nice & warm. I think Mommy & Daddy should have a pair, don't you?

You see... I'm a bit too young yet to sit up by myself, so Mommy & Daddy propped me up on the couch so Grandma could begin yet ANOTHER photo shoot for her brag book. My Grandma has 3 brag books...I'm a bit concerned, is this normal?

I must admit though, I do think I look pretty handsome in my new Burberry outfit & monkey slippers...don't you? These are my first pair of blue jeans & I can tell already that blue jeans are going to be a big part of my attire for many many years to come...they are so comfy!

The furry little reindeer is my gift from Great Grandma & Grandpa Fisher and I just know we will become close buds. Rudolph will keep me occupied when I'm in my car seat on all those trips to the mall & Target with Mom.

For you other grandmas out there... Santa bought my slippers here.

Love, Beckham

P.S. Time for a little R&R for me as well!

Did you know? A little sock monkey history...

The Red Heel® socks where first manufactured in 1890 by The Nelson Knitting Mills in Rockford Illinois. John Nelson came to this country from Sweden in 1852 with the Swedish immigrants stepping off the train in Rockford. The first sock knitting machines were patented by him in 1869. Incorporated in 1880, The Nelson Knitting Co. was the first company world wide to manufacture socks. These sturdy and comfortable work-socks were worn mainly by farmers and factory workers.

In the 1900's mothers started crafting these socks into sock monkeys and other animals for their children. These quality sock were intended and used as work socks, but they became so much more when the Sock Monkey was born. In 1920 Nelson Knitting Mills started to include the directions for the Sock Monkeys with every pair of red Heel® Socks.

Nelson Knitting Mills was purchased by Fox River Mills in 1992 and now Fox River Mills continues the tradition and includes the original directions with every pair of Red Heel® Socks they manufacture.

The original instructions have been packaged with the Red Heel® Socks since 1920.

Happy New Year,

brenda

For your pure entertainment, please see how my crazy family spent their Christmas....

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Merry Christmas!

Our CHRISTMAS gift arrived early....

Beckham will make his first visit to Grandma & Grandpas for the holidays...can hardly wait to celebrate our first Christmas with this little one!

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Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

May this wonderful Season of love and peace,warm your life with a joy that will last through the year.

Merry Christmas to you & yours,

brenda

Did you know...

The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American named Ralph E. Morris in 1895. The new lights proved safer than the traditional candles, which often started fires by falling in the dry Christmas trees.

The use of a Christmas wreath as a decoration on your front door, mantel or bay window symbolizes a sign of welcome and long life to all who enter.


Today poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant and are the number one flowering potted plant in the United States.
The poinsettia, a traditional Christmas flower, originally grew in Mexico, where it is also known as the 'Flower of the Holy Night'. Joel Poinsett first brought it to America in 1829.

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.
Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. California, Oregon, Michigan, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina are the top Christmas tree producing states. Oregon is the leading producer of Christmas trees - 8.6 million in 1998.
Christmas trees are edible. Many parts of pines, spruces, and firs can be eaten. The needles are a good source of vitamin C. Pine nuts, or pine cones, are also a good source of nutrition.
The best selling Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.
For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place. Each hectare provides the daily oxygen requirements of 45 people.
Artificial Christmas trees have outsold real ones since 1991.

He is known throughout the world, by various names; Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, St. Nick, and Pere Noel. On Christmas Eve, countless children all over the world lie in their beds while "visions of sugarplums dance in their heads." When they awake they will excitedly check to see if Santa Claus has come to bring them gifts.
One town in Indiana is called Santa Claus. There is also a Santa, Idaho.
The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century. He was very pious from an early age, devoting his life to Christianity. He became widely known for his generosity for the poor. But the Romans held him in contempt. He was imprisoned and tortured. But when Constantine became emperor of Rome, he allowed Nicholas to go free. Constantine became a Christian and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325. Nicholas was a delegate to the council. He is especially noted for his love of children and for his generosity. He is the patron saint of sailors, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. He is also, of course, the patron saint of children. The Dutch kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore composed his famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nick," which was later published as "The Night Before Christmas." Moore is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man in a red suit.

Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorated the Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided have the ends bent to depict a shepherd's crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes.
During the Christmas/Hanukkah season, more than 1.76 billion candy canes are made.

Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They would gather this evergreen plant that is parasitic upon other trees and used it to decorate their homes. They believed the plant had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in Christmas celebrations because of its pagan origins. Instead, church fathers suggested the use of holly as an appropriate substitute for Christmas greenery.

The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men (the Magi) brought to Jesus. As recounted in the Bible's book of Matthew, "On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh."

In 1836, Alabama was the first state in the USA to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
In 1856, President Franklin Pierce decorates the first White House Christmas tree.
In 1907, Oklahoma became the last USA state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.

The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby's White Christmas.

St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to formal church services. Christmas caroling began as an old English custom called Wassailing - toasting neighbors to a long and healthy life.
The word carol is derived from the old French word caroler which derives from the Latin choraula. This itself was derived from the Greek choraules.

The first Christmas card was created in England on December 9, 1842. Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the company. An average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 eight cards return in their place. More than three billion Christmas cards are sent annually in the United States.
In America in 1822, the postmaster of Washington, DC, complained that he had to add 16 mailmen at Christmas to deal with cards alone. He wanted the number of cards a person could send limited by law. "I don't know what we'll do if this keeps on," he wrote.

Animal Crackers are not really crackers, but cookies that were imported to the United States from England in the late 1800s. Barnum's circus-like boxes were designed with a string handle so that they could be hung on a Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas,

brenda

Red Velvet Cake

Drum roll please....and the winner of the $50.00 shopping spree is Melody.

Melody said...
Brenda; What memories you stirred. I remember receiving those Lucky Locket dolls. I had forgotten all about those until I saw your post. Barbie was a big part of my Christmas wish list for years. I received the Barbie goes to College Dorm room and sweet shop one year. Merry Christmas! Melody

Melody please email me at order@countrystitchesonline.com to receive details on your winnings.

Thank you so kindly to everyone that shared comments of their favorite toys as a child...definitely a walk down memory lane!

Red Velvet Cake is traditionally our Christmas dessert at my parent's home. My mother has made this cake for Christmas as long as I can remember. Sister Linda baked this cake this year and was enjoyed by all! Mom used to make the cake from scratch, but now uses the Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix with great results & so much easier! The secret to a good Red Velvet cake is all in the frosting. Today I am going to share our families Red Velvet Cake Frosting with you.

RED VELVET CAKE FROSTING

5 T. flour

1 cup milk

3 T. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

Boil flour and milk until thick, stirring constantly. Cool. Cream butter and shortening. Beat 4 minutes, slowly adding sugar. Mix in flour paste. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. NOTE - if you prefer a thicker layer of frosting make a batch and a half for frosting a sheet cake.

Bake the Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix according to directions on box. Bake in a jellyroll pan. Allow cake to thoroughly cool. Frost with frosting. Keep cake chilled & enjoy!

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Until tomorrow,

brenda

Going home for Christmas...

Today we are heading to Minnesota for our Christmas get together with my parents, sisters & their families. We will first meet uptown to buy gifts for a family that we have adopted. It is then back to the farm to take turns wrapping these gifts. The gifts then will be delivered to the family on Sunday morning.

After the gifts are wrapped we will gather around Mom's kitchen for a meal of appetizers, chili, cookies & popcorn balls. Before we head home we will be treated to Mom's traditional red cake.

Today I am going to share a couple recipes that I made to take home. Enjoy!

MINI CHEESE BALL NIBBLERS

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 pound (1 cup) shredded Monterrey/cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sliced green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
pretzel sticks

Beat cream cheese and milk in small bowl on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth. Add cheese and green onions. Continue beating until well mixed. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in peanuts. To serve, place pretzel stick in each ball. TIP: To pack along: Wrap the cheese balls in plastic food wrap. Be sure to keep this cheese snack in a take-along cooler so the cheese stays cold. Place pretzel stick in each ball at serving time. NOTE - this makes 18 pieces, I always double this when making it....18 just are simply not enough!!

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SWEET CHRISTMAS DIP

1 (8 oz) tub of whipped cream cheese

1/2 cup white corn syrup

2 T. sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 c. cherry flavored Craisins (ran through a food processor & chopped quite fine)

1 T. grated orange peel

Mix the cream cheese, corn syrup and sugar until fluffy using a medium speed on your mixer.Blend in the sour cream. Fold in the Craisins and the orange peel. Chill. Serve with Anna's Orange Swedish cookies, sliced green Granny Smith apples or pear wedges. Makes about 2 1/4 cups.

Until tomorrow,

brenda

Christmas Brunch goodies....

I often times "cheat" on Christmas day, preparing only two meals for the day. We start off with a morning brunch, skipping lunch, with our large meal in the evening. This allows the cook to enjoy family time a bit more. Today I am sharing a couple of favorite sides that will compliment your egg dish for a Christmas morning brunch.

BACON WRAPPED SMOKIES

" The bacon fat and brown sugar form a wonderfully sweet & salty glaze on these."

You will need:
1 package Little Smokies
1 pound bacon
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar


Directions:
Cut bacon slices in thirds.
Wrap one cut piece of bacon around each smokie and place them seam side down in glass baking dish.
Top with brown sugar and drizzle with vinegar.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator and bake in a 350° oven for one hour.
Remove from baking dish and transfer to a small slow cooker to keep them warm while serving.
Serve with toothpicks.

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SO SIMPLE GOOEY CARAMEL ROLLS

"A quick & easy version....ooey & gooey! These are the cutest mini cinnamon rolls & are delcious!"

Topping Ingredients:
(1/4 cup) butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 chopped pecans

Filling Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Rolls Ingredients:
1 (11 oz.) can refrigerated Pillbury bread stick dough

Heat oven to 375°. Combine all topping ingredients except pecans in 9-inch round cake pan; stir until well mixed. Sprinkle with pecans. Set aside.Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Set aside.Unroll dough; separate into 12 strips. Spread each strip butter ; sprinkle evenly with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Roll up loosely. Pinch seam to seal. Place rolls evenly in pan.Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Let stand 1 minute before removing pan. Serve warm.

Until tomorrow,
brenda

The Christmas Stocking

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care

in hopes that St. Nick

soon would be there....

Our Christmas stockings were hand knit by Dave's mother. She knit a stocking for each of her 7 children, their spouses & each grandchild...a total of 27 stockings. The original 7 stockings were knit using wool yarns, but as it became harder and harder for her to find wool yarns in her small town she moved into synthetic yarns for the in-laws and grandchildren. Daves stocking being knit with wool has gently yellowed over the years. Grandma Pat earned her angel wings in October, so the stockings will have an extra special meaning this year....

Traditionally on Christmas Eve our children left a plate of cookies, glass of milk and a couple of carrots for Santa & Rudolph. A small note was also written and tucked next to the plate of goodies. The stockings were then hung in hopes that Santa soon would be there.

On Christmas morn we awoke extra early to the noise of the kids scampering down the stairs to see what Santa left in their long wooly stockings. They would find new pencils, lip gloss, hot wheels cars, nail polish, baseball cards and always a box of life-savors. Santa didn't wrap these items, he just quickly tucked them into the stocking as he was off to the next house...no time for gift wrapping!

Our children are now grown, bringing home spouses & significant others, but the stockings still hang by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nick soon will be there...bringing out the child in each of us at this very special time of the year.

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HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING....

The tradition of the Christmas stockings began by a story told since ancient time about a kind noble man who had three daughters. With the passing of the wife/mother the daughters and their father were left in a state of sorrow. The daughters were left to do all the work in the house. When the daughters became eligible for marriage, the poor father could not afford to give the huge dowries to their husbands.
One evening the daughters, after washing their stockings hung them near the fire place to be dried. Santa Claus being moved by the plight of the daughters came in and put in three bags of gold one in each of the stocking hanging by the chimney. The next morning the family noticed the gold bags and the nobleman had enough for his daughter’s marriage. The daughters got married and they lived happily ever after. Since then children have been hanging Christmas stockings.

Until tomorrow,

brenda